Just before leaving on this trip I was out buying flip flops. My daughter chose a little pink pair with Tinkerbell on them and, of course, so did my son. An interesting moment for a mother who professes not to play into the gender distinctions culturally imposed. I had to admit a twinge of discomfort with his choice. I am happy to report there are NO SUCH ISSUES HERE!!
West Africa is teeming with burly men standing tall and proud in dashikis made entirely from pink eyelet. Teenage boys proudly sport backpacks of teal and purple and small boys are perfectly happy wearing pink camouflage. There is an undeniable layer that involves money, the affluence to choose the color of ones shirt, that is true but gender markers here are undeniably different even taking preference into account. Girls and young women sport many different hairstyles but the most common in Ghana is closely cropped and without decoration. Thus earrings are the mark of a female child (often) because boys and girls have the same haircut. All in all, a wonderful education into another culture and as soon as I get home Emmett is getting those Tinkerbell flip flops!!
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